Insulated rail-joint.



H. F. ROACH.

INSULATED RAILJOINT. Arrglcnlou mm was. 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. F. ROA QH. msumzo am 10m.

APFUCATION FILED AUG-6. l'9l1.

1,268,253. Patented Mar. 5, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATEIFT OFFICE.

Il-IATRRY F. ROACH, or sr. Louis, mrssonm.

INSULATED RAILJOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it 'known that I, Hamn' F. RoAcH, a

citizen of the UnitedStat-es, residing at St.

Louis,'Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inInsulated Ra1l Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it. appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to insulated rail joints of the so-called splicetype,. namely, joints in which splice members consisting of fish'platesor angle bars are arranged on op posite sides of the webs of the railsin en gagement with insulating members that bear against the baseflanges and the heads of the I rails.

One object of my present invention is to provide an insulated rail jointof the general type referred to, which is so constructed that the wavemotion ofthe rails throughout the track is continued uniformly throughthejoints of the track, thereby eliminating hard spots inthetrack, andconsequently, reducing the liability of the rails to break within thejoints or at the ends of the joints, as so often occurs in insulatedsplice type rail. joints of the kind now in general use, due to the factthat the sidememhers of such joints are so designed that they impartconsiderable additional stiffness-to theportions of the rails which.they embrace.

Another object of 'my invention is to provide an insulated splice typerail joint which is so designed that it minimizes the vertical bendingmoment at the center portion ofthe joint to a negli ible degree andcauses the center portion of the joint to be brought into structuralshear resistance. 7

Another object is to provide an insulated rail joint of the general typereferred to which is "so constructed that it overcomes the necessity ofaccurately spacing thetrack ties.-

Another object is to provide a splice type insulated railjoint whichinsures the wave motion of the rails being continued uniformly throughthe. joints of the track without liabilityof "the insulating "materialat I the sides'of zthe. rails being cut by the movethe 0111 t Wh8n therails areunder ioad. e

still another object .of my invention is to -provide aninsulated railjoint in which ftheen'd post between the ends of the abut- Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,654.

the-rails relatively'to the side mem-' Patented Mar.5,1918.

out the necessity of removing the bolts and the side insulating members,as is necessary in insulated rail joints of the kind now in general use.Other objects and desirable fea tures of my invention will behereinaften pointed out.

To this end I/have devised an insulated arranged that they arespacedaway from the heads and the base flanges of the rails sufficiently topermit the rails to move vertically at the ends of the joint under loadboth upwardly and downwardly. The joint can either be positioned over atie or between two ties, and the side members of the joint may be of anypreferred shape in cross section and can either be cast,- rolled, forgedor formed by a combined rolling,bending or shapin'g'operation. The boltsof the joint are insulated from the side members and from the rails bysuitable insulating devices, and the end post can be of any suitable design. I prefer, however, to use an end postwhlch 1S constructed in sucha manner that it can be removed and replaced without re; moving thebolts" and the side insulating members, and so far as this feature of myinvention is concerned, it is immaterial how the side members. of thejointare constructed, or whether the joint is ofthe so-called splicetype'or of the type in which the rails are supported by a base plate.

=F'gure 1 of the drawings is a side eleva tional view of' an insulatedrail joint constructed in accordance with my invention.- Fig, 2 is ahorizontal longitudinal sectional view of the same. I

Fig, 3' is a view partly in end elevation and partly 1n verticalsection, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end post.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational-view, illustrating a slight modification ofmy invention.

. Fig. 6 is a horizontal. longitudinal-seq,

tional view of the joint shown in Fig.

and

7 is a perspective view of one of the meta 11c fillers used in the jointshown in ranged between the rails and the side members A, and an endpost E formed of suitable insulating material is interpos d betweentheends of the rails B. The bo's'of the joint are insulated from theside members A by insulating devices F of conventional form. Each of theside members A is provided intermediate its ends with means 1 and 2 thatare wedged between the undersides of the heads 3 of the-grails andtheupper-asides of the base flanges t of the rails,

respectively, in proximity to the'center of the-joint, said means '1 and2 preferably consisting ofinte ral andlower edges/o .eac of the'side'members "oithe end post E betweeii the ends of the ,A that extenda short distanceflonleach side mails. The end portions of each ofthememhers A are spaced away fronjijfthe heads and from the base-flangesof the-rails, or rather-,5

fromthe portions of thc 'iside insulating members D that contact withthehea'dsahd base flanges of the rails, so as to permit; the rails B ti)deflect slightly'jan'd. also move upwardly atthe ends of thefl jointunder l0ad..i: By constructing theside members'A 'of the joint :in thismanner I obtain practilcally' a hinge connection between the. terminalsof the rails'a-nd the center ,portion'of the joint withoutthe use offabaseplate .or

supporting structure' under theibase flanges of the rails..- Whenthej'ointis in service therload. imposed 'on one rail "bya wheeltraveling over the same w'illjbe transmitted t the T center portion, of.,thej-joi'nt through thee'nd of the ra il, thus bringing the member'shinto-shear resistance] at the center of the-joint. Whe'n thfeload fromsaid rail onto the adjacent rail-,theload will be transmitted'throughthe end} .ortion f the latter to the center portionso' the members V Ain exactly the same manner a'sjust de scribed. It will thus be seen thatin an insulated rail joint ofthe constructionherein illustrated thevertical bending moment; oi

the side members A at'th'e of the joint is redubed to anegligible degree80 that it islnot'necessary to consider the bend momentfas a factor indesignin in jo t forthe particular work-that it is re- 7 (e to do. Thehinge conuectionbetween f'desired without causin owing to the fact thatit does not add mate rially to the stiffness of the portions of theraiL- which are embraced by the side; menubersA. My improved joint isnot only superior to insulated splice typerail joints inpointed out, butit ortions 'on theupper purpose of: constructfn the rails and the sidemembers A of the oint eliminates hard spots in the track and revcntsreverse strains from being created in the joint, as such a connectionrmits the wave motion of the rails to pass't rough the olntuninterrupted. Furthermore, such an insulated joint can be made as stiffas the respects previous] can be made much lip; 'ter without afi'ectingthe efliciency orsacrificing strength, on acstrains, instead of verticalbendin strains when the joint is in service. The engthor area of theportions 1 and 2 of the members A can be' varied, solong as the endportions of said members are spaced'far enough away from-the undersidesof the heads of the rails and from the upper sides of the base flangestherails to break,

count of the fact that the joint members A are of such desiguthatthe'cente'r portions of the same are subjected to vertical shearing ofthe rails to permit the rails to move ver- 'tically at the ends of thejoint upwardly and downwardly under load. As Previously stated,.themembers A maybe 0 any preferred cross-sectional shape and may formed invarious ways without departing from the spirit of m invention;

Thejoint hereinil ustrated is so designed a that when it is iii servicethe' portions l and +2 of the side-members. A will with greaterforce-against the side insulatingmembers' D at points in proir-imitytothe center bolts .0 than the vdo atthe points where the terminals 0 the,rails; contact with'said side insulating members D. The the jointin thismanneris to provide, su fcient relief for the side insulatingmemhers :Dat thecenter of the, joint to prevent. said insulating memhers-frombeing cut or damaged; by th t minal's of *the rails due to the up anddown vmovement of the railsund'er loadfand also Q to" further reducethe" s'tifl'ness of the, pertions of the rails which 'areembraced by theside- 'm'ember's A of the joint. 1 accomplish thisby-deQiQningthe sidemembers 1n S cha manner that when-ythey are in-= 1 stalled the; endbolts ,0 of the, joint can e drawnup ti h-t enough: to force th'e'jfendportions of: e side. members A inwardly toward the vertical. webs of,the rails nnd members A atthe. center of the join shown in Fig. 2. .Theresult-is that'wfen one at points 'p'roximi' lts c ofthejl int insteais: am the entire lengt of the porticnsfl; an 2 of the'joint' is inservicethe rails tically tothefside members A o theg to the out ran

" A thusbow out the center portions of the side.

the members A that are wedged between the heads and the base flan es ofthe rails. By the above statement I 0 not wish to intimate that the sidemembers A. of the joint do not bear against the side insulating membersD at points between the center bolts C, for in practice the intermediateportions of the members A are wedged between the heads and base flangesof the rails at the center of the joint. The degree of pressure,however, that the members A exert on th'e'side insulating members D atthe exact center of the 'olnt, or, in other words, at the terminals ,0the rails B, is less than the degree of pressure which the members Aexert on the side insulating members I) at points in proximity to thecenter bolts (3, due to the bowing out of the intermediate portions ofthe side members A when the end portions of the members A are drawninwardly by tightening the end bolts C. It is not absolutely essentialthat the side members-A of the joint beinstalled in this manner, for ifdesired, said side members can be so arranged thatthey will extendparallel to the webs of the rails, thus causing the intermediateportions 1 and 2 of said members to exert the same pressurethroughouttheir entire len th on the portions of the insulating mem ersD that areinterposed between the same and the'heads and ase flanges ofthe rails, but as previously stated, it is referable to arrange the sidemembers A of the joint insuch a man'- net that a slight relief isprovided for the side insulatingmembers D at the center of the joint-,as I have found that this tends to prevent the terminals of the railsfrom cutting the side insulating members D and it also tends to reducethe stiffness of the portions of the rails that are embraced by thejoint.

The post E, instead of being provided with'a base ,portion that isinterposed be- 5'6- :iwcen the ends "ofthe rails. Anew end posttween-whee base flanges of the rails, as has heretofore been the usualpractice, merely consists ofa' member formed of suitabletin sole-tingmaterial and provided with'a head portion 5 that .lie's between theheads of the rails a'nd a shank-portion 6 that lies between the verticalwebs of the rails- When it be coincsnecessary to replace the end post'I!) ,ofthe joint, this can be accomplished by simply loosening the boltsof the jbint and drawing the end post E upwardly from be can then beinstalled by-simply inserting or arrangmg the shank portion 6 of thesame between the ends of the" rails and forcing said end 'postdownwardly into operative position. So far as-this feature of my intention is concerned, it is immaterial how the side mem'tfi s of thejoint are constructed.

In: the farm of my invention-i.llustrated sirable in that it reduces thequantity of insnlating material used in the joint, but it also tend toprolong the life of the insulating material by providing metal. bearingsurfaces for the terminal, ortions of the rails to act upon when theointis in service. In Figs. 5 to 7 of the drawings I have illustrated aninsulated rail joint constructed in this anner that is intended to beused. on a single track, namely, a track on which the tratlic travels inboth directions. The side members A ofthe joint shown in Fig. 5 are ofthe same construction as those used in the joint illustrated in Fig. 1,but the side insulutingnnembers D terminate at points in proximity tothe center of the joint, instead of extending throughout the entirelength of the joint. As Shown in Fig. 6, the sldc insulating member Dthat is arranged at one side of the rails extends inwardly from one endof the joint to a point a short distance beyond the end postE, and theother side insulating member D that is arranged at the op tjo site sideof the rails extends inwardly from the opposite end of the joint. to apoint a slight distance beyond the end post E. Two metal fillers G- arerrang ad at opposite sides ofthe rails, as shown in Fi 6, so as to. formcontinuat-ions of the si e insulating members D, each of said metalfillers being provided with a substantially channel-shaped portion 7that conforms to the cross-sectionnlshape of the inner end portion ofthe insulatin member D withwhich it cooperates and a horizontalldisposed, straight, web portion 8 through which one of the center boltsand one of the end bolts of the joint pass. When i such a joint isin-service the metal fillers G serve as metal bearing surfaces on whichthe terminal portions of the rails act when the rails are under load,and as said metal fillers have greater wear resisting properties thanthe insulating members I), they prolong the life of said insulatingmembers. Furthermore. as said metal fillers are clamped between theheads and the base flanges of the .rails and have openings throu h whichthe bolts of the joint pass, it will e impossible for said metal fillersto work loose or be come displaced. I prefer to form themetal fillers Gin. the manner illustrated in Figure 7, but the particular shape or formofsaid metal. fillers is innnaterial-so far as my broad characterillustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, is used for double track work,namely, in a track on which the traffic travels in only one direction,the metal 'fillers G are arranged on opposite sides of the receivingrail and the insulating members D are arranged on op osite sides of thedelivering rail, so that t 1e portions of the metal fillers that liebetween the upper and lower edges of the side members A and the headsand base.

flanges of the rails will receive most of the impact produced by a wheelpassing over the joint.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby LettersPatent,'is:

1. An insulated rail joint,v comprising side members arranged onopposite sides of the rails and having their end portions spaced awayfrom the headsand from the base flanges of the rails, means arrangedintermediate'the ends .of each of said members "that :Eorms bearingsurfaces for the heads and base flanges of the rails, and insulatingmaterial interposed between the rails and said side members 2. Aninsulated rail joint, comprising cooperating 'members spaced apart toreceive a uttin rails and provided with means lyin in differenthorizontal planes than the en portions of said members to form bearingsurfaces for the undersides of the heads and the upper sides of the baseflanges of the rails, and insulatin posed between said mem ers whichthey embrace, a

3. An insulated railjoint, comprising'two members arrangedon opposite sdes of the webs of the rails and provi'd and the rails their ends withmeans'that cobperates with the heads and with the base-flanges of therails to form substantially hinge connections between the rails and thecenter portion of the joint said members bein so constructed andcombined with the m atively to said members, at the ends'cftho' jointwhensaid rails are under load, and

meansfor insulatin mid members from the rails which theyem race,

4. An insulated rail joint, co members arran onopposite s1des' o;"thewebs; of the lfillQiIl'd insulating material material mterintermediate"-that the rails can move vertically, both up and down rel-4 rising sideinterposed between said members and the rails which they embrace, saidside members bei so constructed and combined with the raifithat therails can move vertically, both up and down relatively to said memberssufficiently at the ends of the joint when the rails are under load topermit the wave motion of the rails to pass through the joint.

5. An insulated rail joint, comprising two members arranged on oppositesides of the webs of the rails, and insulating material interposedbetween said members and the rails, theend portions of said membersbeing aced away from the heads and the base anges of the rails and theintermediate portions of said members bearing against parts of saidinsulating material that con of the rails.

6. An insulated rail joint, comprising two members arranged on oppositesides of the webs of abutting rails above the base flanges of the sameand desi ed in such a manner that they support an connectthe terminalsof the rails together, but still permit the rails to move verticall bothup and down, relatively to said mem ers at {the ends of the joint whenthe rails are under load, and insulating material interposed betweensaid members and the rails.

7. An insulated rail joint, comprising two members arranged on opposite'des of the webs of abutting rails and rovided with intermediateportions lying bo e the base flanges of therails on which the terminalportions only of the rails bear, thereby permitting the rails tovfulcrumon said intermediate dportions and move vertically, both up andown,'at the ends of the joint when said rails are under load and meansfor insulating said members fr om the rails which they embrace. v

v 8. An insulated rail joint, comprising memb' rs arrangedonoppositesides of the websfpf abutting rails and havin mediate portionsthat are, wedged :tween the heads and the basmflpnge'of the rails, thelength of said intermediate portions bein less than the. distancebetween the and interbo ts of thejoint, so as to permit the-rails tomove vertically, both up and down, relaf tively to said members. at theends of the joint when the rails are. underload, and

for insulating said membersjrom the I e vs 7- I g 9., An inmilaiadqrailjoint, comprising side,

members arranged on opposite. sides of the webs of abutti rails, andinsulating elethe rails, said members being'p'rovidd inoperate'with'thesheads an jwith the base flanges of the rails to formractically-hinge connections between the rain Par a sf and thecentersaid, members, thereby permit tact with the headsand'with the baseflanges 'nients a dl tween saidme'mbers and v V termediate their endswith omens that 00- i ting the rails to move vertically, both up anddown, relatively to said members at the ends of the joint when the railsare under lbi'An insulated rail joint, comprising sid'e members arrangedon opposite sides of the webs of the rails with their end portionsspaced away from the heads and the base flanges of the rails, andinsulating elements that are wedged against the unders ides of the headsand the upper sides of the base flanges of the rails at the center ofthe joint by the intermediate portions of said side members.

11. An insulated. rail joint, comprising side members arranged onopposite sides of the rails with their end portions spaced away from theheads and the base flanges of the rails, and insulating elementsinterposed between said side members and the rails, said side membersbeing provided intermediate their ends with means that cooperate withthe heads and with the base flanges of the rails to form fulcrum pointsfor the rails located at each side of the exact center of the joint.

12. An insulated rail joint, comprising side members arranged 011opposite sides of the webs. of abutting rails with their end portionsspaced away from the heads and the base flanges of the rails, andinsulated elements interposed between said rails and side'members, saidside members being provided with-intermediate portions that formfulcrum. points for the heads and the base flanges of the rails and beinso disposed that a slight relief is provided for the per tions of saidinsulating elements on which the terminals of the rails act.

13. An insulated rail joint, comprising side members arranged onopposite sides of the webs of abutting rails and provided with endportions that are spaced away from the heads and the base flanges of therails, and insulating elements arranged between said members and rails,said side members being provided intermediate their ends with portionsthat are wedged tightly between the heads and the base flanges ofthe'rails in proximity to the center bolts of the joint.

14. An insulated rail joint, comprising side members arranged onopposite sides of the webs of abutting rails and having theirend'portions spaced away from the undersides of the heads and the uppersides of the base flanges of the rails, insulating ele-' mentsinterposed between the side members of the rails, and intermediateportions on said side members that codperate with the heads and the baseflanges of the rails to form practically hinge connections between therails and said side members at points a slight distance to either sideof the exact center of the joint, said side members bein so disposedthat a slight relief is provid for the insulating elements between thefulcrum points on said'sides members.

1'5. An insulated rail joint, comprisin side members arranged onopposite sides 0 the webs of abutting rails with their end portionsspaced away from the heads and the base flanges of the rails and theirintermediate portions wedged hetween the heads and the base flanges ofthe rails, the end portions of said members being drawn inwardly towardthe webs of the rails so as to cause the center portions of said.members to how out slightly, and insulating elements interposed betweensaid elements and the rails.

16. An insulated rail joint, comprisin side members arranged on oppositesides 0 the rails, insulating elements arranged be-- tween said sidemembers and the rails, and an end post of insulating material interposedbetwecn the ends of the rails and constructed in such a manner that itcan be removed or replaced without removing said insulating elements.

17.An insulated rail joint, comprising side members arranged on oppositesides of the rails, insulating elements arranged between said sidemembers and the rails, and an end post of insulating material interposedbctwecn the ends of the rails and comprising a head ortion and adepending shank portion 0 such form that it can be removed Or replacedwithout removing the insulatin elements between said side members anrails.

18. An insulated rail joint, comprising side members arranged onopposite sides of the web of abutting rails with their end portionsspaced. away from the heads and side'memhers arranged on opposite sidesof the webs of abutting rails and provided with end portions that arespaced away from theheads and the base, flanges of the rails andintermediate. portions that are wedgedi between the heads and the baseflanges of the rails, insulatin elements arranged between said side memers and rails and extending across the space between the ends of therails, and metal fillers that form 'contin-uations' of said insulatingelements and provided with portions through which the bolts of the jointass.

20. An insulated rai joint, comprising I side members arranged onopposite sides of the rails and provided intermediate their ends withportions that cooperate with the heads and the base flanges of the railsto form substantially hin e connections between the rails and sai sidemembers, the end portions of said side members being .spaeed awai; fromthe heads and the base flanges of rails, insulating elements arranged ono posite sides of the rails between the rails an said sidc members andextendin inwardly from opposite ends of the jbmt, and metal, fillersthat form continuations of said insulating elements and rewided withportions that are interpose between said side members and the heads andbase flanges of the rails.

-2 1'. An end post for insulated rail joints, consisting of a memberformed of insulating' material and provided with a head portion and adepending shank portion of such shape and design that the end post canbe removed or replaced without removing the bolts or the side insulatingelements of the joint.

22. An end post for insulated rail joints,

consisting of a member formed of insulating material and provided with ahead portion and a depending shank portion whose lower end is of lesswidth than said head portion, thereby permitting the end post to beremoved or replaced without removing the bolts or the side insulatingele' ments of the joint.

HARRY F. ROACH.

